Emperor of Steel [EN]: Chapter 73

7. Shykan’s Secret

1

Whirr-!

A plain about 10 kilometers northwest of Nemesis, the capital of the Baroque Empire.

There stood the former mansion of the Evra Count family.

The mansion was vast and magnificent, a testament to the family’s once considerable power and prosperity.

However, the Evra Count family was branded as traitors and destroyed. By the Emperor’s order, the mansion was reduced to ruins, leaving only the foundation stones.

On this desolate ruin, a figure appeared.

The large man wearing a mask was Shykan.

Having escaped from the capital, he crossed the ruins and headed deep inside.

There, a burial mound stood.

It was surprisingly well-maintained; unlike the other areas overgrown with weeds, it was covered with a soft layer of grass.

‘It’s been 25 years, Mother!’

Shykan’s eyes, looking down at the mound, were bloodshot.

Indeed.

The Evra Count family was Shykan’s, or rather, Leikart de Baroque’s, maternal family.

They had enjoyed their heyday during the reign of the previous Emperor, even producing the third Empress, but after the previous Emperor’s mysterious death, they fell into decline.

And Rudolf, who ascended to the throne as the new Emperor, branded the Evra Count family as traitors and thoroughly crushed them.

The burial mound that Shykan was looking down at was that of his birth mother, the third Empress Magdalena.

At first, he didn’t know where his mother was buried.

But after making inquiries, he learned that she was buried in the family tomb at the family’s mansion, and so he came to find it.

Shykan’s mother, Magdalena, was as kind-hearted as she was beautiful.

She always used honorifics with her servants and never passed by a sick animal or bird without helping it.

Because of this, she had many followers within the Imperial Palace.

‘But that bitch, the first Empress, was always eager to devour my mother.’

In his memories, his mother was often sick or injured.

She would say it was because she ate food that didn’t suit her constitution or that she had fallen and scratched herself.

Young Shykan believed her words.

But now, thinking about it, it was clear that the first Empress had been plotting out of jealousy.

‘Mother! I will tear Rudolf and his followers into a thousand pieces for killing you. So please, trust and wait for your unworthy son a little longer!’

Shykan, placing a bouquet of wildflowers on the mound, swore with gritted teeth.

An uncontrollable murderous aura emanated from his body. As if his enemies were right in front of him, his rage ran wild.

Perhaps the murderous intent was too intense.

“Cough!”

A groan came from the opposite side of the mound, where a pile of stones was stacked.

“Who’s there!”

At Shykan’s shout, about a dozen masked figures appeared around the mound.

Shykan’s eyes gleamed at their stealthy appearance.

He hadn’t expected so many to be hiding, having been deceived by his own Draconian senses [referring to his heightened senses as a Draconian, a being with dragon blood].

‘Are they assassins sent by Rudolf?’

Perhaps they were planted there, thinking that his half-brother and the captain of the guard, whom he failed to kill during the past ambush, might come looking for him.

Shykan immediately drew his sword from behind his back.

“Wait! We don’t intend to fight!”

Just as Shykan was about to attack, one of the masked men hurriedly raised his hand to stop him.

“Hmph, have you become afraid for your lives now? Then you shouldn’t have been here in the first place.”

Shykan sneered and raised his sword again, but the man shook his head vigorously as if to say that wasn’t the case.

“We are not your enemies. No, perhaps we are on the same side. So please, wait a moment!”

At his pleading words, Shykan’s movements stopped. He tilted his head and asked.

“On my side, you say?”

“Y-yes. If it’s not too much to ask, could you take off that mask?”

The man’s words and attitude showed no hostility at all. Rather, he seemed to be trembling slightly, as if he was anticipating something greatly.

‘Should I hear them out for now?’

Shykan sheathed his sword.

Their stealth was surprising, but if they were trying to trick him, he was confident he could crush them.

He was the Orc Hero, the king of monsters, and a Draconian who inherited the blood of the Divine Dragon.

“Alright. But only once.”

Shykan slowly removed his mask.

His face, revealed under the sun, had delicate features that didn’t match his large physique.

His intensely shining black eyes were like obsidian, and his sculpted features exuded nobility.

The man, staring intently at Shykan’s face, fell to his knees before him.

“P-Prince Leikart! So you were indeed the Prince. Sob!”

The masked man burst into tears like a child.

However, Shykan’s gaze remained cold as he watched him.

At this, the man hurriedly removed his mask and began to explain in detail.

“I am the chief steward of the Evra Count family. Do you remember me?”

Shykan, examining the stern and stubborn face of the old man, was startled.

“You are… Baron Guildman?”

“Yes, that’s right! You remember me!”

He was much older than he remembered, but he couldn’t not recognize him. He was the one he had met most often among the vassals of his maternal family.

In the past, Guildman often visited the Imperial Palace with his maternal grandfather, and he was the first to greet Shykan when he went to his maternal family with his mother.

“B-but weren’t you dead?”

According to the information Shykan had obtained in the capital, the Evra Count family was thoroughly destroyed when the previous Emperor died and Rudolf ascended to the throne as the new Emperor.

The family members were executed under the false charge of being the ringleaders of a rebellion, and the vassals were also captured and disappeared into the execution ground.

No one related to the Evra Count family was spared, which caused much controversy at the time.

But the chief steward was alive!

“Did you perhaps side with Rudolf?”

At Shykan’s question, Guildman shook his head vigorously.

“How could I, who received the grace of the Count and the Third Empress, commit such an ungrateful act? It’s just that our lord, who foresaw the family’s crisis, took measures in advance.”

“My maternal grandfather did?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Guildman sighed deeply and began to tell the story of what had happened 25 years ago.

2

“The Third Empress and her entourage were attacked by an unidentified group on their way to her family home, and the Empress passed away while the Prince went missing. But the problem didn’t end there.”

When the Emperor also died mysteriously a month later, Count Yonsen de Evra sensed that this was a plot by the First Empress’s faction.

He immediately smuggled some of his family members out of the Empire and entrusted their command to Guildman, who was the chief steward at the time.

“So, the Evra Count family wasn’t completely destroyed?”

“That’s right. Two young masters, who are your maternal cousins, are still alive.”

As Guildman finished speaking, two of the masked men removed their masks.

Twin young men in their early 30s appeared, and they looked quite similar to Shykan.

‘They are my maternal cousins.’

Their features from when he was young were still quite present, so Shykan could recognize them immediately.

While Shykan was wearing an emotional expression, Guildman spoke again.

“At first, we thought you were a spy sent by Rudolf. There were often people disguised as pilgrims who came to visit.”

Emperor Rudolf thought that Leikart, who had disappeared, might still be alive.

So he often sent spies to his maternal family to keep an eye on them.

However, that was only for the first few years, and after 25 years without Leikart appearing, he seemed to think he was dead, and the appearance of spies became infrequent.

“But how did you know it was me? It seemed like you recognized me even when I was wearing the mask?”

“That’s because the murderous aura you released earlier contained Draconic Fear. Since you are known to have inherited the blood of the Divine Dragon…”

Draconic Fear is known to be usable only by those who have awakened as Draconians.

Shykan had also recently become able to use it, but he had failed to control his emotions earlier and had inadvertently revealed it.

The problem was that they had sensed that Draconic Fear.

Ordinary people cannot distinguish between the unique murderous aura and the waves of a Draconian. They only feel intense fear and murderous intent.

“How were you able to recognize it?”

“It’s because these two young masters have also awakened a little of the blood of the Divine Dragon Tiamat.”

“What!”

Shykan was so surprised that he raised his voice without realizing it.

“I can’t believe it! The blood of the Divine Dragon is passed down only to the Baroque Imperial Family. How can others inherit it?”

“That’s not true.”

“The Baroque Imperial Family are not descendants of dragons.”

It was the twin maternal cousins, Mitchell and Baintz, who answered Shykan’s agitated question.

“Not descendants?”

“That’s right. It’s just a lie to enhance the family’s authority. Like other noble families, they just adopted the legend of the Divine Dragon that they heard from somewhere.”

“Then the blood of the Divine Dragon flowing in my body…”

“You inherited it from our Evra family, your maternal family.”

With those words, Mitchell took off his top, and Baintz followed suit.

The twin brothers raised their arms and showed their armpits.

There, transparent scales that shouldn’t be on a human were shimmering in the sunlight.

‘They’re the same as mine when I was young!’

He touched them with his own hands to make sure, and it was indeed true.

Not only that, but when he touched his maternal cousins’ bodies, Draconic Aura formed at his fingertips, emitting light and sound, creating a resonance phenomenon, regardless of his will.

“When did you awaken?”

“It was a few years after our family was destroyed. But even before that, whenever we met the Prince, we would experience a slight resonance phenomenon.”

The one who discovered this before anyone else was his maternal grandfather, Yonsen.

It was also for this reason that he prioritized evacuating the two of them over the other family members when the family was in crisis.

“Is it certain that the Baroque Imperial Family doesn’t have the blood of a dragon?”

“If they did, they wouldn’t have been quiet for hundreds of years. They would have boasted about it to the whole continent.”

“But I wasn’t like that, was I?”

As Shykan said, the fact that he was a descendant of the Divine Dragon was only known to the Imperial Family and some high-ranking nobles.

Why did they keep it a secret?

Baintz explained the situation.

“The reason why they couldn’t publicly announce the Prince was because they weren’t sure about their own lineage. If it were revealed that it was a maternal inheritance, the dignity of the Imperial Family would inevitably fall.”

What was even more difficult for the Baroque Imperial Family was that the Evra Count family was a collateral line of the Livia Royal Family, which they had destroyed in the past.

If they were not careful, it would be like reviving the justification and dignity of a fallen nation.

“Anyway, the important fact is that the Prince and we have met.”

“I agree with that point as well.”

Shykan nodded at Baintz’s words.

Even though he had failed in the Principality of Navar, he had been wondering if he could defeat Emperor Rudolf with just the monster army.

As he shook the provinces of the Empire and learned more about their potential, he felt the urgent need for more human allies.

And then he met the survivors of his maternal family.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

“I believe that my meeting with you today is the work of my mother in heaven.”

Everyone seemed to agree with Shykan’s words.

In front of them, Shykan revealed his ambition.

“I know your wishes well. And you also know what I want! I will open the world that you and I desire with the divine power of the Divine Dragon! Will you all go with me?”

“We will be with you from here to the end!”

The family members of the Evra Count family knelt before Shykan.

Baron Guildman had not been idle for the past 25 years. He had secretly met with nobles he had been acquainted with in the past and had formed a force of his own.

By joining forces with them, the Orc Hero Shykan had gained powerful allies who would be of great help in his fight against Emperor Rudolf.

3

Erewyn, who was traveling with Rick, arrived in Bless, the capital of the Holy Artenia Empire.

On the way here, they were attacked by the fairies once again.

They seemed to have planned it very carefully, even mobilizing Gigants [large, powerful war machines], but they were able to avoid the crisis by detecting their presence in advance.

Upon arriving in Bless, she first contacted an agent of Argos, the information organization of the Rakan Marquisate.

If Luke had come here, he would have surely planted an information organization.

Using the code they used, she made contact with the agents and asked about Luke and Princess Reina.

“During the last civil war, the Lord…”

The agent hesitated for a moment, then, remembering the instructions to cooperate with the fairies, told her the details.

Thanks to this, she was able to hear that Luke had made great contributions in the civil war and had received a title and territory from the Holy Empire, and that he had met Princess Reina, who was now reigning as the Pope.

“That’s really fortunate. But is there any way to know the movements of the fairies living in the Rakan Marquisate?”

“Their movements, you say?”

The informant, disguised as a peddler, tilted his head and asked at Erewyn’s question.

“Yes, I was wondering if they had caused any trouble…”

“Well, they seemed a bit restless, but there haven’t been any major problems so far.”

Hearing that, Erewyn was able to feel somewhat relieved.

If the fairies of the Rakan Marquisate, who must have received orders from the fairy leadership, had caused a major conflict, her relationship with Luke would have been completely ruined.

‘Did they decide not to follow the orders of the leadership?’

Perhaps this was only natural.

After accepting the fairies into his territory, Luke did not discriminate against or oppress them.

Rather, if an unsavory incident occurred, he would punish the human side involved more severely.

The residents of the Marquisate, who were initially displeased, did not object later.

This was because the industry of the territory had developed after the fairies with various talents and abilities arrived, and as a result, their livelihoods had become more prosperous.

So, although it was still only a small part, territories that followed the Rakan Marquisate were beginning to appear.

They began to coax or improve the treatment of the fairies rather than simply oppressing them.

Anyway, with this atmosphere, the fairies of the Rakan territory were not intoxicated by the vain dream of the resurrection of the legendary magic empire Avalon.

There were more people who were satisfied with their current stable lives and wanted to continue enjoying them.

‘The problem lies with the fairies living elsewhere.’

Even before meeting Luke, Erewyn had witnessed the harsh realities of how fairies lived across the continent.

Some, like herself, managed to leverage their abilities to live on equal footing with humans, even in the face of prejudice.

However, many more were oppressed like slaves, and countless others lived in hiding to avoid such a fate.

If the fairy representatives presented a compelling vision, these downtrodden fairies would surely rally to their cause.

And then, a war with no end in sight would erupt between humans and fairies.

‘Considering the long-term well-being of the fairies, Marquis Luke’s moderate approach is far better, even if it’s slow. I must stop the fairy representatives’ plan.’

“What are you pondering so deeply? Your soup will get cold.”

“It’s just that…”

At Rick’s question, Erewyn snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.

As if by magic, the dishes they had ordered were laid out on the dining table.

Rick, already munching on bread, spoke to Erewyn, who still looked troubled.

“Is it because of those so-called fairy representatives?”

“Yes, it is.”

On their way to Bless, Rick had learned the general situation from Erewyn.

He, too, believed that the unfair treatment of fairies over the years was wrong.

However, he didn’t think the actions of the fairy representatives were right either.

“I don’t think you need to worry too much. No matter how much they desire it, there are limits to what they can do openly.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Princess Reina was currently the Pope of the Holy Empire.

The Immortal Guard, who protected the Pope, was a formidable fighting force that even the fairies would not dare to challenge, and its leader, Grand Duke Gregory, was one of the most powerful figures on the continent.

It was unimaginable that they could break through them and harm her.

However, she couldn’t rest easy.

They wouldn’t know about the fairy representatives’ plot, and in that situation, they wouldn’t be able to respond appropriately.

Therefore, it was crucial to warn them of the impending danger.

After eating at the restaurant, Erewyn made her way to the Holy Palace.

Upon arriving at the Holy Palace, she expressed her sincere gratitude to Rick, who had protected her until the very end.

“Thank you so much for all your help.”

“You’re welcome. It was my pleasure to assist the disciple of my benefactor.”

As Rick turned away, waving his hand, Erewyn asked him a question.

“Are you going to see your son now?”

“Yes. I don’t know if he’ll welcome or reject the father he thought was dead.”

“I’m sure he’ll be happy.”

“Hahaha. I wonder if that’s true…”

After saying goodbye to Rick, Erewyn headed towards the Holy Palace.

The guards standing at the main gate crossed their spears, blocking her path.

“Halt. No one can enter here without permission.”

“I have urgent business with someone. Please inform Sir Victor that Erewyn has come to see him.”

“Sir Victor?”

At the mention of Victor’s name, the gatekeeper, who had been silent, reacted.

Although he had only recently been appointed as a Holy Knight, Victor was one of the most trusted close aides to the Pope.

He was known to be a former mercenary who had risen to prominence quickly, initially facing a lot of jealousy and gossip.

However, he was as skilled and experienced as his age suggested, and he was diligent and loyal, so much so that Grand Duke Gregory praised him as a model Holy Knight.

A woman had come to see such a powerful figure who was recognized by both the Pope and the Grand Duke?

‘Could she be his granddaughter?’

The gatekeeper thought, looking at Erewyn’s features revealed under her hood.

As far as he knew, Victor was not a man who indulged in women.

“Wait here for a moment.”

The gatekeeper’s message was delivered inside the Holy Palace, and Erewyn was guided to a reception room near the main gate.

Soon, Victor appeared.

“It really is you, Erewyn! What brings you here?”

“I have something urgent to tell you.”

At Erewyn’s serious gaze, Victor dismissed the people around him and spoke in a low voice.

“Is it perhaps related to the fairies?”

At Victor’s question, Erewyn’s heart sank.

It seemed the fairy representatives had already made their move.

She had thought they wouldn’t act openly, but it seemed that was not the case.

“Surely, nothing has happened to the Princess, or rather, Her Holiness the Pope…?”

“Nothing like that has happened. They just came to deliver a letter demanding that she keep her promise.”

‘Well, the fairy representatives aren’t that foolish either…’

They must have quickly realized that they couldn’t achieve anything by force.

No, it must be that they thought it would be better to appeal to Reina’s conscience, as she was known for her kindness and compassion.

“What did Her Holiness say?”

“She doesn’t know about this. I intercepted the letter.”

Victor knew Reina better than the fairies did.

Moreover, he knew what had happened in the past when she was involved with them, so he chose not to deliver the fairies’ message.

“You did well. The gate to the Spirit Realm must not be opened. Not now, at least, maybe in the distant future.”

“What exactly are the fairies up to?”

“They are planning to revive Avalon, the ancient magic empire.”

Then, Erewyn explained in detail what kind of country Avalon was in the past and what the relationship between humans and fairies was like at that time.

Victor, who learned about the history of the past that he did not know, was shocked.

“So, the fairies are planning to retaliate against humans for the history of oppression by reviving Avalon.”

“Yes, I don’t want such a history of resentment and bloodshed to be repeated. I also don’t want Her Holiness to be swayed by such things.”

Victor nodded at Erewyn’s explanation, but then wore a worried expression.

“But we can’t hide it forever. If their demands are not met, they will become more insistent.”

“That’s right. First of all, we need to firmly tell Her Holiness not to accept their demands.”

“This old man can persuade her on that point. However, there is one thing…”

“Is there something bothering you?”

“I’m worried that the fairies might harm Lord Luke.”

Erewyn also agreed with Victor’s concern.

In the past, Princess Reina had tried to open the gate to the Spirit Realm because of Luke’s safety.

If something were to happen to him again, Reina’s heart would inevitably waver.

“Of course, with Lord Luke’s skills, he wouldn’t be easily defeated. But there are ways to threaten people other than swords and magic in this world.”

‘Indeed, if the current situation were to be known to the Baroque Imperial Family, that alone would be enough to put him in trouble.’

Luke had secretly participated in a civil war in another country without Emperor Rudolf’s permission, and he had even received a title and territory from the Holy Empire.

If the fairies knew about this politically problematic situation, they would surely exploit it.

“Of course, Lord Luke’s achievements have not yet been revealed to the fairies. There is an excellent substitute in the Marquisate, and his status in the Holy Empire is also secure on paper.”

However, there was no guarantee that the secret would be kept forever.

Most importantly, the urgent issue was how much Luke knew about this matter.

“Did you inform Lord Luke that the fairies’ letter had arrived?”

“I haven’t informed him yet. If the notification sent from this side were to be leaked, the fact that the Holy Empire’s hero, Baron Leff, is actually Marquis Rakan would be quickly revealed to the fairies.”

Perhaps because of his age, Victor was very cautious. He never rushed, even in urgent matters.

“A regular inspector will be dispatched to the Alberville territory soon. I plan to secretly convey the news related to this matter through that inspector.”

“I see. By the way, there is one thing I would like to ask of you.”

“What is it?”

“I need a new identity.”

She had managed to evade the fairy representatives’ pursuit for now, but she didn’t know what might happen in the future.

Victor, who fully understood Erewyn’s situation, readily nodded.

“I understand. I will take care of that matter.”

“Thank you.”

After talking with Victor, Erewyn breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the problem was not completely resolved, she could relax a little.

4

While waiting for something to happen in the capital, Luke focused on his Gigant research.

He had already taken care of the important tasks of the territory, and the rest of the minor tasks could be left to his vassals, so he had plenty of time to invest in research.

The goal was to create his own hero-class Gigant [a large, humanoid war machine].

To this end, he had gathered sufficient reference materials.

He had also diligently caught up with modern magic engineering, gaining the ability to design and modify Gigants himself.

‘The problem is the materials needed for production…’

“Is the lord there?”

A man with a gruff voice and a red beard broke down the door of the office and entered.

He was as tall as a human, earning him the nickname of a giant among the dwarves. He was Kurkan, the elder of the Red Hammer Tribe.

“Can’t you come in quietly?”

“I came in quietly. It’s the door that’s weak.”

Kurkan retorted shamelessly at Luke’s reproach.

Kurkan, who had led the Red Hammer Tribe to the Rakan territory three years ago, had shown a rather rude attitude towards Luke and his vassals.

The vassals, who did not know the circumstances, grumbled that the dwarves were uneducated, but Luke could fully understand his feelings.

500 years ago, the Red Hammer Tribe had regarded Seymon as their savior and followed him. Therefore, it was only natural that they did not look kindly on the descendants of Rakan, who had killed him.

If it had not been for Erenes’s will, they would not have come to the Rakan territory.

“I’ve extracted the steel materials you mentioned earlier and sent them to the Katarina Magic Tower.”

“Already? It’s only been three days?”

“I could have finished it in two days. It’s just that the iron ore was of poor quality, so it took a little longer to refine it properly.”

Luke nodded and asked, as if he had just remembered something.

“What about the top-grade magic stones I requested?”

“We’re working hard to mine them from the magic stone mine you told us about. So, wait a few more days.”

In the meantime, the Red Hammer Tribe had never been lazy or negligent in their work.

They had always done their work perfectly, not wanting to be caught out by Erenes’s will or the descendants of Rakan.

“You’ve done well. I’ll tell the storekeeper to send you some cold beer.”

“Tell them to send chicken too! Chicken is the best side dish for beer!”

“Hahaha. I understand. I’ll send you some specially fried chicken.”

Although his words were rough, Luke liked Kurkan.

He was loyal to his past self, and his words and actions were consistent.

Anyway, after Kurkan left, Luke turned his attention back to Gigant production.

“The ordered materials have arrived or will arrive soon, so now all that’s left is to design and build it myself?”

He had hero-class Gigant blueprints to refer to, and he had also been taught the technology and magical knowledge to make important parts through Dark Moon [a mysterious organization].

With this, it wouldn’t be too difficult to create a machine comparable to the Veritas Magic Tower’s Atlas or Dark Moon’s Orion.

The problem was that Luke was not satisfied with that level.

He wanted to create a work that would amaze future generations. As it was to be the vanguard in the overthrow of the Baroque Empire, he wanted to make it with a level of combat power that was second to none.

‘Did Rudolf’s Gigant have two core engines?’

According to the information gathered through Henri, the output of the super-hero-class Gigant named Kaiser was a whopping 6,000 Fight [a unit of power].

Although it was destroyed in a fight with Cowlen, no magic tower had ever created a monster Gigant with such output.

‘That’s because they haven’t yet created a core engine that can produce an output of 6,000 Fight. So, the Imperial Royal Magic Tower has only increased the output by using the expedient of arranging two power sources in parallel.’

The problem was that although they had created a Gigant with such high output, it was almost scrapped because there was no rider who could operate the two power sources in a balanced way.

‘After all, one core engine is better than two.’

Having come to that conclusion, Luke decided to try making a 4,000 Fight core engine first.

Increasing the output was not an easy task, but if he analyzed the collected data and applied his black magic-based magical knowledge, he would find a way.

“Another problem is how to increase the reaction speed…”

The answer to that was already there.

It was the synchronization helm made by Dark Moon.

However, the synchronization helm required rare radium alloy and special magical processing, which made the production cost enormous.

‘If it’s just for me to use, it’s not a problem. But the synchronization helm is something that can boost the combat power of other knights’ Gigants as well.’

So, while he was making the Gigant, he decided to solve the cost problem as well.

“First, I need to find a material to replace the radium alloy. Shall I start by investigating materials with similar properties?”

While Luke was diligently looking for related materials, Hwang Bo-sung came to see him.

Instead of a fist salute, he gave a military salute he had learned from the knights and looked at Luke with a dissatisfied expression.

“Lord, I request that you keep your promise soon.”

“Promise? Ah, you mean the sparring with Baron Rogers and Commander Kaper?”

He had promised last time but had been too busy for various reasons and had been putting it off.

Hwang Bo-sung could no longer bear his restless body and had come to see him like this.

“I’ll make sure it happens tomorrow.”

“Thank you. If possible, please allow me to spar with a Gigant as well.”

“I understand. But you use a wooden ox…”

Luke stopped asking.

Luke, who was curious as to why, looked at Hwang Bo-sung with an interesting expression and said.

“Your wooden ox. May I take a look at it?”

“It’s not difficult, but it’s difficult here. The mansion will collapse.”

“Then let’s go outside, or rather, to the Katarina Magic Tower.”

Luke left the office with Hwang Bo-sung.

He had been interested in the wooden ox since he first saw it, but he had never looked at it in detail.

Luke decided to satisfy his long-standing curiosity and try to find an answer to the previous problem in the wooden ox.

‘The two have different principles applied, but their roles are the same. If I analyze the Taoist arts of the Southern Continent and the materials used to make the wooden ox, I might be able to find clues to solve the core engine output or synchronization problems.’

Perhaps because he was filled with anticipation, Luke’s pace towards the magic tower became faster and faster.

As a result, Hwang Bo-sung, who was following behind, had to run as well.